Sunday

The bitter taste from last September threatens to linger untilthe regular season begins on April 5 in Detroit. But that doesn'tmean Valentine - who, like half his coaching staff and almost halfof the players he'll have in camp, was not with the Red Sox inSeptember - has any intention of dwelling on it.

"When you're talking with this group that will be here, the 63guys that will be in uniform, I'd hate to paint all of them withthe same brush," Valentine said in a lengthy session with reporterson Sunday, the day pitchers and catchers were required to report."Many of them weren't here. Many of them have no reason to feelthat they need to erase anything of their past. For everyone inthis camp, this is 2012. This is the year that could be the mostspecial year of their life. That is definitely a message I wantthem to understand, regardless of what happened last year, whetherthey were in Korea or Boston or the National League West. I wantthem to think this is a special year."

Valentine was asked specifically if he planned to addressSeptember with the team - and if it was important for the playerson the team to address September publicly.

"I definitely believe actions speak louder than words, and theactions I've watched in the last five or six days are speakingvolumes," he said. "I think our fans will want to see more thanthey want to hear, but I think they need to hear something,also.

"I don't know if I'll address it. The last thing I want to do isbe redundant, but I want to be emphatic. And I think everyone wantsto be emphatic, and if it needs to be said again, I will."

No word from Varitek

On the day pitchers and catchers officially reported to JetBluePark, there was no sign of Jason Varitek.

The long-time Red Sox catcher - a mainstay on this day since1998 - has been offered a non-roster invitation to spring training,meaning he'd have to fight an uphill battle to earn his spot on thebig-league roster. Boston has yet to get word from Varitek onwhether he would accept the offer or not.

"I don't have any expectation [that he'd be here], because Ihaven't heard that we should get his uniform ready," Valentinesaid. "I could be surprised if he did [show up]."

The Red Sox have six catchers in camp, including starter JarrodSaltalamacchia and presumed backup Kelly Shoppach. Ryan Lavarnwaycould be with the big club by the summer, and Luis Exposito offersdepth in Triple A. That leaves little room for Varitek, who lastseason hit .221/.300/.423 in 68 games. He hasn't hit higher than.255 since 2005.

"I don't think you're going to find anybody in there that'sgoing to say they're not going to miss him," said Josh Beckett, whopitched almost exclusively to Varitek last season. "If Tek doesn'tcome back, he's going to be missed severely, both in the clubhouseand out in the field. For me, I won't say especially, but for me,for sure."

On Friday, general manager Ben Cherington said he didn't expectany last-minute additions to the roster.

"I don't have anything to report. Because I don't expect anyadditions, I guess I don't expect [Varitek] to be here on Sunday,"Cherington said. "That's something, again, that we've agreed withJason to continue to talk to him, let him make that decision. Heneeds to make it on his own, and I respect that."

Don't sell them short

As Valentine opens his first spring training with the Red Sox,he doesn't know for sure who his Opening Day shortstop will be.

The trade of Marco Scutaro - not to mention the implied budgetrestraints it represented - has not sat well with Red Sox fans. ButValentine said Sunday he was involved in the discussions abouttrading Scutaro away and was not surprised to see the movemade.

"We talked about that before it was done," he said. "I was allon board with it - totally."

Had Scutaro been retained, he almost certainly would have beenthe Opening Day starter at shortstop. The trade of Scutaro did notleave the cupboard bare, however, as Valentine was quick to pointout. Mike Aviles and Nick Punto both will compete for the job inspring training.

"Believe it or not, when I make out the lineup against(Northeastern) and Boston College a couple of days from now, I'llhave a shortstop," Valentine said. "To some surprises out there,when we open up in Detroit, there will also be a shortstop."

Cashman: Sox will be fine

Wary Red Sox fans might be skeptical that the players on theirfavorite team are going to show up to spring training in shape andraring to go.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is not skeptical - nordoes he expect a September hangover to linger at all.

"What happened with the Red Sox last year did not represent whatthe Red Sox are whatsoever," Cashman told reporters at the Yankees'facility in Tampa. "Adversity and that type of ending automaticallypresses a reset button for that franchise. Their players are goingto come in and have a completely different culture now. They have abrand-new spring training facility opening up this year. They havea new manager, new general manager, players that had toself-evaluate last year all winter long.

"I guarantee every one of those players comes into camp in thebest shape they've ever been in. Not that they weren't in the past,but if there was any question, I guarantee that's not going to be aquestion now. They'll be geared up."

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